Maybe It Was Memphis
by kr2009
Summary: What happens when the Cullen family moves to Esme Platt's Memphis neighborhood? Friendship, love, and ovary explosions abound. A birthday one-shot for MelissaMargaret. Rated M for summer citrus. AH


**Disclaimer: SM owns Twilight and these characters. Pam Tillis sings **_**Maybe it was Memphis**_**.**

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><p><em>Maybe it was Memphis<em>

_Maybe it was southern summer nights_

_Maybe it was you, maybe it was me  
><em>

_But it sure felt right._

**oOoOoOo**

"Do you have the pies? We can't forget the pies. And the tea? Do you think two gallons is enough? Maybe I should have—"

"Mama, really," I interrupted before she worked herself further into a tizzy. I took a deep breath to prepare myself to answer her. "Yes, I have the pies. They're in the car. The tea is there, too. And two gallons is plenty for a family of four. We're fixing one meal, not feeding them for a week. Take a breather before you stress us all out. Please."

"_Esme_."

I barely managed to not roll my eyes at her _I'm-twenty-three-years-older-than-you-so-I-obviously-know-more-than-you-do_ sigh.

"Esme, you know I want everything to be perfect. It's not like we get new neighbors every day. We have to do our best to make them feel welcomed. And running out of sweet tea is not how you make folks feel welcomed...especially a doctor. And his son. Don't you forget about him."

This time, I failed to suppress my eye roll as she turned and flounced out of the house with her casserole dish.

Somehow, our family had become the unofficial "welcome to the neighborhood" committee even though we rarely had any new neighbors. However, this week, a doctor and his family had decided to grace us with their presence.

Dr. Carlisle Cullen III, or Trey Cullen as he preferred to be called, had moved his family down to Memphis, Tennessee, from Seattle, Washington. His new job at the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital had been secured after his success as a pediatric oncologist at Seattle Children's Hospital. I had never heard of him, but from what my mother said, he was well known in the oncology community.

Not that my mother was an entirely trustworthy source.

Rachel Platt was a known gossip, especially in our neighborhood. It was annoying trait when she was telling me about who was having babies, making babies, making enemies, and just anything else I didn't care about.

But sometimes, I was thankful for her thirst for too much knowledge. That was how I knew all about Trey Cullen's wife, Elizabeth, and their two children, Carlisle and Alice.

Elizabeth was a homemaker. Her daughter Alice was only seven-year-old, and that made staying at home seem like a good choice, at least in my opinion. Beth Cullen used her free time on many philanthropic projects, so I knew she would be happy here in Memphis. There was always at least one charity project going on what with the leading children's cancer hospital in the nation being here.

Carlisle Cullen was a bit of a mystery compared to his parents. I knew he was twenty-two years old, just a year older than me. He had just graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in business. As far as I knew, he didn't know how he was going to use it, much like me with the English degree I was working on.

That was all I knew about him. My mother, on the other hand, had some preconceived notions of her own.

In her mind, a preacher's daughter and a doctor's son were a perfect match. And what do you know? I was a preacher's daughter and Carlisle was a doctor's son. My mother already had us married with five children, a dog, a cat, and eighteen fish living in a koi pond in our backyard.

I wasn't amused by her plotting, but I couldn't help but be curious. I was a romantic at heart, and I wasn't ready to completely discount my mother's ideas. But who was to say if this Carlisle would show any interest in me? What if I wasn't interested in him? I may have been a romantic, but I wasn't about to torture myself with someone I didn't even like.

"Esme Anne Platt, hurry up! And bring your father, too!"

I cringed upon hearing my full name but didn't ignore my mother's call. This was serious business for her and compliance was a necessity to keep our house a happy one.

"Where are you supposed to take me?" my father asked, coming up behind me.

I turned around and smiled. "We're going to the Cullen's. Do you have your speech ready?"

He smiled and nodded. "Of course I do. 'Hi, welcome to the neighborhood. We're so glad to have you. God loves you, and so do we. We hope to see you at church on Sunday!'"

"Perfect, Daddy," I praised, patting his arm.

It was the same little spill he gave every new person in the area. And many of them did show up at our church the next Sunday. It was difficult not to get along with Pastor Paul Platt. He really did love everyone which was easily seen in his warm smile, firm handshake, and general good nature. He was a true servant and would do anything for anyone. I was proud to be his daughter.

Once my father and I joined my mother in the car, we made the short journey to the cul-de-sac at the end of the street. My mother chastised us as we went, touching on everything from first impressions to hot tea and cold casserole. Daddy may have been the preacher, but Mama gave him a run for his money.

As soon as we were out of the car, all of the heavy lifting duties were passed to my father as my mother fussed over my appearance, smoothing the wrinkles in my t-shirt and brushing the few stray hairs out of my face.

"Really, Esme. You couldn't have worn something a little more...classy?" she asked as she continued her mission of sprucing me up.

I looked down at my t-shirt, jean shorts, and flip-flops, not seeing any problems. And my hair was out of my face in two French braids. It was the perfect ensemble for a hot June day in the South.

"What's wrong with this?" I asked indignantly, sticking my chin up in pride. "I think I look cute."

"Cute," she snorted. "You need to look better than 'cute,' dear. How else are you going to impress this boy?"

"I'm pretty sure twenty-two is considered a man. And besides, how do you know that he even wants someone to impress him? What if he already has a girlfriend?"

"Well this _man_," she stressed, just for my benefit, "is very much single, and of course he wants to be impressed. Young men are wired that way."

So now she was an expert on men. I was starting to wonder if my mother was an expert on everything.

"We'll just see," I stated, mostly just to placate her. "But don't scare him off, please. No sharing details of all the children you have planned for us."

She made a show of using her fingers to zip her lips before shoving the pies into my hands and rushing to catch up with my father who was already standing at the Cullen's front door.

I started to walk over to join them, but I heard a rustling in the shrubbery followed by some soft giggling. I was almost worried, but then I remembered that there was a seven-year-old lurking around this house. And it seemed like she was spying on my.

Scanning the area, I searched for any possible hiding place. My eyes soon landed on the toes of a pair of sneakers peeking out from behind the bushes.

"Hmm," I hummed, loud enough to be heard. "I wonder why this bush has feet. I didn't know bushes could walk." The giggling continued slightly louder as I walked closer. "I didn't know bushes could giggle either," I added.

All of a sudden, the little spy jumped out in front of me, still giggling like crazy.

"Bushes can't walk or giggle, silly," she chortled. "I thought big people were supposed to be smart."

"I am smart. You just tricked me!"

"I did not!"

"Well...how was I supposed to know? You were the one hiding and spying on me."

"Was I a good spy?" she asked hopefully with a large, toothless smile.

"The best," I nodded. "But maybe next time, you should try not to giggle as loudly. Oh, and maybe not wear shoes as...bright as those." I gestured to her sparkly pink high-tops, making her giggle again.

"But I love my shoes! Mom got them for me, but I really like yours. So what's your name?"

I was taken aback by her quick change of topic but quickly recovered.

"My name is Esme Platt. What's yours?"

"I'm Mary Alice Cullen, but you can call me Alice...or Ali...or Mac. I have lots of names," she said proudly. "So do you wanna be my best friend?"

This sassy girl already had me wrapped around her finger, so of course I nodded. "I would love to be your best friend as long as you're my best friend, too."

She placed her hands on her hips and tilted her head. "Well, duh. I have to be your best friend because you're mine. And you can be best friends with Brother, too. Come on." She grabbed my hand, pulling me toward the front door that my parents had already disappeared behind. "We'll go find him."

I had no choice but to follow her, carefully balancing the platters of fried pies in one hand.

The air conditioning was a welcome feeling once we were inside. Alice continued pulling on my hand, not even giving me the chance the slip off my shoes. We headed toward the sound of voices and soon joined the adults in the kitchen.

"Oh, here she is," my mother said, turning to me. "Esme, meet the Cullen's. Although, it seems that you already met one of them."

"Hi, I'm Alice," my new friend said with a cheerful smile and wave. "Esme's my new best friend."

Our parents shared a hearty laugh which made Alice look at them like they were insane. I didn't doubt her assessment.

Introductions were then made between the older Cullen's and me. They seemed to approve whole-heartedly of my friendship with their daughter, even more so when I basically volunteered my babysitting services. Alice was fun, and I somehow felt the need to keep her safe.

From what Dr. and Mrs. Cullen said, I wasn't the only one who wanted to protect Alice. Carlisle Cullen had been a protective brother from the day Alice was born-that much was apparent from our five minutes of conversation. He had looked out for her in Seattle, and he had plans to do so here in Memphis as well. Maybe I would have another new best friend after all.

Alice grew tired of the adult conversation very quickly and was soon pulling me out of the room again, but not before asking where her brother was.

"Try outside," Dr. Cullen suggested. "Carlisle's been checking things out in the back, so you might find him lurking around out there."

"Thank you, Dr. Cullen. It was nice to meet you both!" I called as Alice took off with me behind trailing behind her. I was afraid that I was being rude, but hearing loud laughter in the kitchen again made me feel a little better. Hopefully they knew that their daughter was currently my boss, and I was completely under her control.

Alice started our search for her brother in the back yard. But after thirty minutes of trampoline jumping, we still hadn't found him. Surprise, surprise.

"Maybe we should check in the front?" I suggested, coaxing Alice off of the trampoline.

"Oooh, yes!" she said, nodding quickly. "We can swing on the porch!"

When we made it to the front of the house, there was clearly someone already sitting in the porch swing.

"There he is!" Alice cheered. "Brother, meet our neighbor. She's my new best friend!"

The blond-haired man turned to face us and smiled, making my jaw drop and my eyes widen.

Oh.

My.

God-goodness.

_Ohmygoodness_.

He was absolutely the most beautiful man I had seen. Ever. Ever, ever.

I wasn't sure if I wanted blush and smile shyly or run over and attach my lips to his forever. No boy or man had ever made me feel like this, and he had only looked at me for a grand total of six seconds. Suddenly my mother's crazy plans didn't seem so bad.

In my moment of shock, my feet had become planted to the ground, forcing Alice to have to pull on my arm with all her might.

"Esme, come on. You have to meet Carlisle so you can be best friends."

"Oh," I said, shaking my head, "sorry, Alice. I was just...distracted." _By your insanely attractive brother, but you're seven and don't need to know all of the depraved things I'm currently imagining._

We walked up the porch steps together, and Alice led me to stand in front of her brother. He rose and offered his hand, and my lovely new best friend took my hand that she was holding and dropped it into his awaiting palm.

"Carlisle Cullen," he said as he brought my hand up to kiss the knuckles. "And I've gathered that you are Miss Esme?"

I laughed. "Look at you! A Southern gentleman already, and you've only been here for a few days. Yes, I'm Esme Platt. It's very nice to meet you."

There. Maybe I successfully hid the fact that my heart was racing and my hand was tingling where he kissed it. Looking like a fool in front of him definitely didn't seem like something I wanted to do.

"Nice to meet you, too." He slowly dropped my hand and returned to his seat on the swing, patting the spot next to him. "Would you ladies care to join me?"

Alice decided for me, grabbing my tingling hand and pushing me down on the swing before taking her spot between me and her brother. Her delicious brother who I had some sort of major crush on.

Crush? Did I still get crushes? I was twenty-one, after all. Wasn't I a little old for that?

Well, whatever it was, it was major, and it caused all of my thoughts to revolve around this one man.

"So...what do you do for fun around here?" Carlisle asked, breaking me out of my trance.

I subtly shook my head and rubbed the cherished spot on my hand. "Oh, well...there's plenty to do in the summer like swimming or tennis or biking and other stuff like that. It's pretty limitless. Umm...what did you do in Seattle?"

"Basically the same." He shrugged. "I like the outdoors, but it wasn't ever as sunny as it is here and definitely not as hot. And there was a lot of rain. Too much rain."

"It might take a while for you to get used to the heat and humidity," I said sympathetically. His polo shirt and khaki pants were preppy and fit him well, but he would never survive a Memphis summer in them. He needed some shorts and a t-shirt. Or maybe no shirt. I, for one, would be perfectly fine with that.

"Uh yeah...the weather is very different."

Silence then surrounded us. It wasn't comfortable silence, but it wasn't necessarily uncomfortable either. I wasn't sure what else to talk about. I didn't understand how Carlisle could be so calm and collected when I was feeling so close to making a fool out of myself.

I didn't know what else to talk about besides weather and activities. I kept my mouth shut out of fear of word vomit and prayed that Alice would break the silence. Of course, she was all too happy to just sit beside me, smiling as the swing moved back and forth.

I racked my brain, trying to think of anything to talk about. Finally, an epiphany hit and I immediately blurted it out.

"Pies!"

Carlisle stopped the swing with his feet and looked over at me. "Excuse me?" he asked, quirking his eyebrow as a small smile appeared on his lips.

My cheeks heated and I internally flinched. So much for avoiding the word vomit.

"The pies. I brought them for your family to eat. They're fried and have peach and apple fillings," I explained, feeling like a moron. "My mother also made a casserole and some sweet tea that we brought over."

His smile grew, seeming very surprised. "You brought us dinner? That was very nice of you."

"It's just how we say 'welcome to the neighborhood,'" I explained. "So...Welcome to the neighborhood!"

"I definitely like it here so far," he said, staring straight into my eyes before he sat back and started moving the swing again.

My heart had finally slowed to a normal pace but now it was racing again. Was he talking about me? It felt like he was, but that didn't make any sense. We had just met, and so far, all that had happened was my brain filling with questions and insane fantasies.

The silence returned, but thank God Alice quickly ended it.

"Esme, do we get to eat the food you made?"

"That's what we made it for," I said with a wink. "But you should ask your mom—"

"Okay, let's go!"

Before I knew it, Alice was pulling me again. I tried to stand up on my own to follow her, but we were both stopped by Carlisle.

"Not so rough, Mac," he scolded gently. "Let Esme stand up and walk by herself."

"But she's my best friend," she scoffed in explanation.

"And you push and pull your friends around all the time?"

"Sure," she shrugged. "I push you all the time, and you're my best friend."

He looked at me and rolled his eyes before turning back to Alice. "Well, how about you don't push Esme like you push me. I think it would be nice to have her around for a while, and she could do without the violence. You're pretty strong for a squirt." He ended his statement by reaching over to tickle her, turning her into a giggling mess before he pulled her into his lap.

Cue ovary explosion.

I wasn't sure how I was supposed to act like a functioning human being around this man. I had known him all of five minutes and I was ready to jump his bones. I was on the fast track to spontaneous combustion, and I didn't even know anything about him other than he was beautiful, seemed to be polite, and loved his sister. I wanted to know everything else, but in order for that to happen, I needed to pull myself together.

But what was that comment he made? Carlisle wanted to see me again? Just the idea made me smile and begin to regain my composure. I definitely wanted to spend more time with him and Alice. We had the whole summer ahead of us as long as we survived this first awkward day. I hoped only one day would be awkward.

Once Carlisle released Alice, she hopped down and grabbed my hand again, this time waiting patiently for me to stand.

"Can we go see the food now_, please_?" she asked with exaggerated politeness. In my peripheral, I could see Carlisle nodding his head which made me giggle.

"Yes, ma'am, we sure can," I said with a smile and a nod before turning toward Carlisle. "What about you, other BFF? Are you coming with us?"

My invitation seemed to catch him off guard, but he quickly nodded and stood to follow us.

Alice led us to the front door, only to be stopped by it opening as my parents were exiting.

"Oh, there you are," my mother said as she stepped on to the porch. "Are you having a nice time?"

"Of course we are," I said as I pulled Alice back to me. "And we managed to find Carlisle."

Carlisle maneuvered around us to offer his hand to my parents. "Nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Platt. And thank you for the food you brought to us. Esme was telling us about it, and it all sounds delicious."

He shook both their hands, and my parents seemed to be quite impressed at his manners. My mother also had the familiar glint in her eye that only appeared when she was feeling smug.

I gave her a hard stare in return to let her know that we would talk later and for her not to embarrass me. I knew we would be having a discussion about the man standing beside me, and I knew my mother was all too pleased that he was gorgeous. I could deal with her later. I couldn't deal with her making a fool of me; I had accomplished that by myself.

"Right," Dad sighed, noticing the silent conversation among his family members. "Well, I think we'll be going now. Nice to meet you, Carlisle and Alice. We'll definitely be seeing y'all around. Be home whenever they kick you out, Esme, okay?"

Thankfully, he then pulled my mother off the porch and off to the car as Alice began leading us inside.

The Cullen's were still standing in the kitchen with the food when we entered the room.

I glanced as the clock and saw that it was close to supper time which meant it was time for me to leave, no matter if they hadn't kicked me out yet.

When I informed everyone that I needed to head home for the evening, they graciously invited me to say and eat. I regretfully turned them down, knowing that they were still getting settled and weren't quite ready for a dinner guest.

Alice was not happy, to say the least.

But when I suggested that she and Carlisle should walk me home, her pout quickly turned into an eager smile.

The walk down the street to my house was slightly less awkward than our porch swinging, but at this point, I couldn't embarrass myself much further.

Alice choose to walk on the lawns just so she could skip ahead to pick dandelions, leaving Carlisle and me to walk beside each other. It would have been thrilling, but Carlisle wasn't saying much. I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

"So…will we see you again soon?" His low voice startled me, but didn't stop me from nodding.

"Sure. I can come over tomorrow…or the next day. Or whenever y'all are settled. I don't want to intrude or anything, but, you know, _Alice _might need someone to play with or something. And I really don't mind because I'm not busy this summer or anything…" I trailed off, realizing that I was rambling and waited anxiously for his response.

"Tomorrow sounds good. Do you want to meet on our front porch again? Maybe we can find something fun to do with Alice while my parents are busy."

I sighed in relief and smiled. "Awesome. I'll guess I'll be over sometime in the morning?"

He nodded and we returned to our slightly less awkward silence until right before we reached my driveway. Alice was already on our lawn searching for flowers when Carlisle grabbed my hand, forcing me to turn toward him.

I wanted there to be sparks or something when we touched. Wasn't that supposed to happen? There was no noticeable electricity, but the longer he held my small hand in his large one, the more right it felt. I didn't have any explanation for that.

"Esme," he started softly, "I meant what I said earlier…on the swing. I hope you stick around with us, and not just for Alice either. I…I would like to get to know you, too, if that's okay?"

My anxiety was contagious today. But seeing Carlisle flustered and pausing to get the correct words out just made him even more endearing. Add that to the fact that he had just asked to get to know me, well, I was on cloud nine.

"Sure," I responded, just as softly. "I would like to get to know you, too."

"Good," he said with a relieved smile. "So I'll see you tomorrow?"

I hadn't even noticed that we had started walking again and were now standing on my front porch. I hated that we had to separate so soon.

"Yeah, tomorrow," I said, smiling. "I'll see you tomorrow, too, Alice," I called.

Her head jerked up from her flower picking and she ran over. "We get to play again?" she asked hopefully, and I nodded. "Ooooh, that's so exciting! Thanks for being my best friend, Esme."

She surprised me by hugging my legs tightly, but before I could hug her back, she was back on the lawn with all her flower friends.

"I guess this is goodbye?" I asked Carlisle, trying to keep the ridiculous sadness out of my voice.

"Until tomorrow," he said with a wink, reaching for my hand. He placed yet another kiss to my knuckles, making them tingle even more.

I walked to my room in a daze, ignoring my mother completely. As I lay in bed thinking, I couldn't help but be excited and ready for tomorrow. I was going to play with Alice and get to know Carlisle. Like a teenager girl, I rolled over and squealed into my pillow. My summer seemed so much brighter already.

**oOoOoOo**

The month of June was probably the best month I had ever had. All of my free time was spent with the Cullen's. As Beth became more involved in her choice activities, Carlisle, Alice, and I became inseparable.

Carlisle and I did everything we could to keep Alice from being bored.

We tried biking, but that ended almost as quickly as it started thanks to Alice's choice of footwear. Her pink high-tops had been forgotten, and in their place were a pair of flip-flops almost exactly like mine. I felt bad that she had dragged her mother out shopping just to match me, but Beth didn't seem to mind at all. My parental approval rating was still pretty high. Of course, I didn't wear my flip-flops when we were biking, but that didn't stop Alice, and her tenacity was the reason we went to get ice cream after only riding for ten minutes.

Many of our days were spent swimming at the country club. My family lived comfortably, but not comfortably enough to be country club members. The Cullen's, however, could easily afford to be members. They didn't flaunt their wealth, though, and I had no problems with being one of their guests.

The pool was the fanciest one I had ever seen…which was probably because the only one I had ever been to was at a public swimming pool that charged a two dollar entrance fee. At "the club," I didn't have to worry about fifty people knocking me over or babies using the pool as a diaper.

And they made good drinks, not that I needed any alcohol. Most of my days were spent completely sober so I could ogle my BFF…the one with the six-pack I wanted to lick.

Carlisle without a shirt was exactly what I thought it would be: amazing. His body was entirely pale and required tons of sunscreen (which I helped apply), but his skin tone had no bearing on the way his muscles flexed and rippled or the way water dripped off of every plane. I was very thankful for my large sunglasses which made my blatant staring a bit inconspicuous.

His beauty in my eyes was only magnified when I saw him with his sister. He always played with her, tossing her in the water and doing basically anything else she asked of him. He loved her so much, and from the stories I had heard, it had always been that way.

"Carlisle liked being an only child," Beth explained one day while we were lounging at the pool. "Alice was somewhat of an 'oops,' I guess you could say. She wasn't planned, but we couldn't love her any less. Especially Carlisle. He was fifteen when she was born, and he loved her from the moment he saw her. Wouldn't let anyone else hold her at the hospital, and it was the same at home.

"And it never stopped. He's her protector, and she's the number one girl in his life. Of course, that seems to be changing." She playfully nudged me, causing a rare blush to appear on my cheeks. Thankfully, it wasn't too noticeable because of the heat.

"So does Carlisle go out much or does he just stick with Alice?" I felt almost guilty for probing his mother for information, but I needed to know everything I could about him. I was ready to soak up all the information I could.

"Carlisle's always been a good boy," she said, her tone slightly forlorn. "He never partied in high school, which I think Alice gets some credit for that, and he didn't really have many friends. Carlisle's quiet and very smart which aren't always traits teenagers are looking for when finding friends."

I had to agree. I hadn't been popular in high school either. When your father is a fairly well-known figure in the community, there's no escaping the judgment. I was expected to be some sort of goody-goody, and I couldn't completely argue against that. I could argue against the pedestal I was placed upon….and left upon by myself. Everyone expected me to judge _them_, but the ironic thing was that I never even had a chance. I was left alone and only had a few good friends who knew the real me.

But that was before Carlisle. He had seen the real me and seemed to like what he saw. Or at least I thought he did; otherwise, why would he want to be around me so much?

Slowly, our relationship began to take on another tone. The long June days were still spent with the three of us together, but as Alice began to make other friends in the neighborhood, Carlisle and I had more moments to spend together.

When Alice would play in the yard with her little friends, Carlisle and I would sit on the front porch swing together and get lost in our own little world. Sometimes we played little games like I-Spy or twenty questions. It was corny and goofy, but it worked for us. Through our games, I was able to learn a lot about him. His favorite color was green, he liked old-school rock music, his favorite food was cheeseburgers, and he liked action movies.

In return, he knew that my favorite color was blue (like the sky and water…and you know, his eyes), I liked country music, my favorite food was strawberries, and I secretly loved musicals. That led to him begging for me to sing and dance for him, but I refused. Singing show tunes in front of your crush had to be some sort of social no-no. I wanted Carlisle to like me, not laugh at me.

The porch swing games were fun, but they were nothing compared to our late night porch swing talks. That was where I was finally able to learn about the real Carlisle Cullen.

What I did learn was nothing short of wonderful. He was every bit as polite as he seemed during our first meeting, and he was very soft spoken but not in a timid way. Carlisle was just always quiet and respectful, and I loved it. I also loved how he spoke about Alice. He loved his sister so much, and he made my ovaries explode many times with his ideas about keeping her safe and making sure she had the best childhood possible.

On top of the things I had noticed since day one, I loved how smart he was…and the fact that he wasn't a pretentious asshole about it like some people I knew. He was "book-smart," but he wasn't entirely naïve about the real world. From what I could tell, he didn't have a whole lot of experience, but he still knew enough to get by. We seemed to be on the same level: not exactly white-as-snow innocent, but not sucked into the ways of society.

I loved how our conversation always flowed, making the original awkward silence a tiny memory. We talked about anything and everything, and I was pretty sure that Carlisle was the best friend I had ever had. He knew when to talk and when to listen. I loved that about him.

Basically, I just loved him. Plain and simple.

My initial physical attraction to him hadn't worn off in the least, but it was more now. So much more. He was the first person I thought of when I woke up in the morning, and the last person I thought of before I went to sleep at night. I rarely had bad days, but if I was feeling just a little bit blue, Carlisle was the one to cheer me up.

I wanted to spend every moment with him and was pretty successful. I just wasn't sure if he felt the same way.

It wasn't as if his feelings _didn't _match mine. Besides the fact that he wanted me around, he had also begun to sit closer to me. His fingers brushed mine as we walked. Friendly hugs became tighter and longer. He often stared at me when he didn't think I was paying attention, but not in a creepy way. It was sweet, especially the small smile he wore as he stared. All those things had to mean something, right?

I tried not to get my hopes up too much, afraid that it was just my imagination fueled by my mother's constant talk of marriage and babies. Her plans hadn't stopped at all, and I had a strong feeling that she now had Beth involved. I saw the way they watched us and then whispered with their heads together. My mother was scary enough on her own; with a partner in crime, I was practically terrified. But as long as they weren't bothering us, I tried to ignore them and their crazy plans that I secretly hoped would one day become a reality.

June finally turned into July, not that the one day made any difference. The weather was still sunny, hot, and humid, making midnight my favorite time of the day for sitting outside. Lucky for me, Carlisle was also a night owl.

We sat on the swing, being as quiet as possible as to not disturb his quiet house. The lonely noises that surrounded us were the soft creaking of the swing and the lulling melody of the katydids and crickets.

With a mind of its own, my body slowly leaned toward Carlisle until my head was resting on his shoulder. Once I realized, I almost panicked, but before I could, Carlisle placed his arm around my shoulder and held me while resting his head against mine. The feeling of being close to him was unlike anything I had ever experienced. Tucked under his arm, I was safe from the night and content. So very content, and my happy sigh proved it.

"Esme?" Carlisle whispered. Somehow his voice didn't disrupt the noises around us, blending instead.

I hummed softly in response, not wanting to break the spell.

"Esme, I'm really glad my family moved here—to Memphis." He hugged my shoulder just a little tighter. "And I'm really glad we moved to this neighborhood. These past few weeks have been the best of my life."

I closed my eyes and smiled before whispering, "Me, too." My hand sought his in the dark, and our fingers twined together. This was new. We had never been this…_intimate_ before, but like everything else with us, it felt right.

"I've never seen Alice as happy as she is now," he continued. "And I've never been as happy as I am now. It's thanks to you, Esme. You make our days better."

I squeezed his hand. "I love spending time with you." _I love you_. "I don't want this summer to end." _I don't want_ us _to end…whatever we are_.

He mumbled something that almost sounded like "maybe it doesn't have to," but I couldn't be sure. Our slow movement combined with my contentment had me almost asleep.

At least until Carlisle's next move.

"Esme?" he whispered again, stilling the swing. When he didn't say anything else, I turned slightly and opened my eyes to look up at him.

His intense stare almost startled me, but I noticed his eyes were still soft even with the tension. I also noticed his focus quickly shifting from my eyes to my lips, as if he couldn't make up his mind. The fact that my lips caught his attention made my heart race from the anticipation of what I hoped was to come.

"Esme, may I…may I kiss you?"

A very small part of me wanted laugh at how polite he was being. He really was the complete opposite of the other two guys I had ever kissed. Their strategies seemed to match and only consisted of how fast they could get their tongues into my mouth.

Carlisle was different in every way which was why I pushed all other thoughts out of my head and nodded.

Ever so slowly, he leaned forward, allowing his lips to gently meet mine. My eyes closed of their own volition, allowing me to focus on feeling. His lips were so soft and fluidly moved against mine. Nothing was awkward or forced, but it was over too quickly. As Carlisle pulled way, I couldn't control the whimper that escaped.

He chuckled softly. "Again?"

"Please. Please, Carlisle."

He silenced my pleading and all my other thoughts with his talented lips. Soft, slow, and perfect. It was exactly how I had always longed to be kissed. Eventually, I worked up the courage to let my tongue venture out to meet his bottom lip. His did the same, but instead of seeking entrance, we just explored and tasted. And his lips tasted better than the pound cake we had shared after dinner.

As our kiss became more heated, his bottom lip wound up between mine, and he had my top lip as we both licked and sucked. Hands also roamed with mine going to his hair, gripping it and using it as leverage to mold his face to mine. Carlisle, ever the gentlemen, held my face between his hands as his thumbs lightly caressed the apples of my cheeks.

Feeling even braver, I gently bit his lip, not expecting the deep groan I received in response. The fact that I was affecting Carlisle like this made me ridiculously happy, but the sound that spurred me on seemed to have the opposite effect on him. He took control, slowing our kisses to lingering pecks until we finally separated.

I opened my eyes and immediately saw his. They were practically glowing with happiness as he smiled.

"I've wanted to do that since the moment I saw you," he confessed.

"And why didn't you?" I was high off of us and letting my thoughts out without much filter. It was quite possible that he had kissed me senseless, not that I even cared.

"I didn't think you would want me to. And besides, we didn't know each other then. It's better now, right?"

He was almost shy as he asked, but he didn't need to be. His thoughts mirrored mine.

"So much better," I agreed. "I kinda wanted to kiss you that day, too, but I'm glad it was tonight. Maybe we can do this again?"

"Oh, Esme." He chuckled and kissed my forehead, making my insides turn flips. "We can do this every night. If you haven't noticed, you're a bit more than my best friend."

"You're a bit more than my best friend, too," I echoed. He was so much more than that, but I didn't want to spill all my secrets in one night. This was enough for now.

After caressing my cheek one last time, he released me, but not before guiding my head back to his shoulder. We stayed on the swing for a while longer, but soon, my blinks lasted longer and longer until my eyes stayed closed.

I dozed until Carlisle nudged me, letting me know that it was time for him to walk me home.

His arm stayed around my waist as we walked, either to help me stand or just to hold me. I was hoping it was the latter, just because I was doing a fairly good job of walking while half asleep.

Once at my door, he kissed my cheek and whispered a "goodnight" before slowly walking back to his house. I watched him for a moment and then quietly let myself into the house and headed to my room.

Before crawling into bed, I looked in the mirror. My eyes were also glowing as was the rest of my face, and my lips were red and slightly swollen. I looked incredibly happy and thoroughly kissed. I couldn't wait to repeat this look over and over.

**oOoOoOo**

Repeat we did. The next two evenings after everyone went to bed, we were on the porch swing talking and kissing and kissing and talking. And exploring. We did a lot of that, too. I explored his mouth, and he explored mine until the point where we were both mouth experts.

We didn't get any farther than that though, not that I was terribly disappointed. More like just a little disappointed.

The kisses were incredible, but I wanted more. I wanted everything with that man, and I had a feeling that Carlisle wanted the same with me. But I was willing to start with some groping over clothes…or under our clothes if we wanted to get more adventurous. Any option where I could touch him was my option of choice.

The Fourth of July changed our routine a bit. Instead of Carlisle and I hanging around with Alice all day, the neighborhood had an afternoon barbeque. There was music, talking, laughing, and so much food.

After being social for a while, Carlisle and I fixed our plates as well as one for Alice and went to sit at the Cullen's picnic table. Our parents were already chatting at one end of the table, leaving the other end open for us. Alice wanted to sit in between my mother and me, so Carlisle had to sit across from us.

I wasn't happy about not sitting together. I had had great plans to hold his hand and have whispered conversation without anyone noticing. But the only thing I could do was slide my flip-flips off and wrap my feet around his ankles. I caught him off guard at first, but after smirking at me, he slid his shoes off as well to tangle our feet together. The flip-flop trend I had inadvertently started definitely had its perks.

Our connection wasn't hidden by any means, but it still felt intimate. At least it couldn't be seen by our parents. Although, with the side-eyes and giggles we were receiving from our mothers, I wasn't sure that anything was unseen with them.

And once Alice elbowed me in the middle of our lunch, I knew she was in on it, too.

After she had my attention, she tugged on my arm to get me to lean over so she could whisper in my ear.

"Esme," she whispered conspiratorially, cupping her hand over one side of her mouth, "I think Carlisle _like_ likes you!"

I managed to hold in my giggles so I could sit up and turn toward her. I put on my best surprised face before leaning over again.

"Really?" I whispered back. "Well, you know what, Ali?" She shook her head. "I think I _like_ like him, too."

Her eyes lit up and she giggled before going back to enjoying her hot dog.

I covered my mouth so I could giggle silently. I looked over at Carlisle, and he winked and continued eating as if he hadn't just heard our conversation. We had never really spoken our feelings aloud, but at least now we had some idea that we were on the same page.

After we finished eating and cleaning up our mess, we spent the rest of the afternoon on the porch swing and playing around with Alice. Thankfully, one of her favorite neighborhood friends was able to entertain her without our help for the most part. Rosalie Hale lived across the street from the Cullen's, and I was very happy to see that she and Alice had become fast friends. She was a sweet girl and always played nicely with Alice without needing me and Carlisle around, and I loved her for it.

Fireworks were scheduled to begin once it was dark, but at dusk, Carlisle took my hand and led me through the back yard.

"Where are we going?" I asked curiously.

"Somewhere I've wanted to show you." He stopped walking for a second and squeezed my hand. "Do you trust me?"

My heart immediately fluttered, and I nodded. "Of course I do. I trust you with my life."

He searched my eyes for something, and upon finding it, nodded.

We resumed our trek through the back yard until we came to the tree line. I expected to turn left or right, but instead, we walked forward. I held Carlisle's hand tightly as we dodged tree limbs and stepped around fallen ones. I understood why Carlisle had needed me to trust him. This journey was very strange and honestly a bit scary since it was almost dark. But with Carlisle beside me, I didn't give into the fear. He obviously knew we he was going so I simply followed.

After a few minutes of walking, Carlisle pulled me closer as we slowed our pace. Before I knew it, we escaped the trees and walked into a clearing. The grass was tall and probably itchy, but as I watched the fireflies dancing around through the high blades, I was mesmerized. This place was truly magical.

"Come on," Carlisle said, placing one hand behind my knees as he scooped me into his arms. I squealed and threw my arms around his neck to hold on as he walked through the grass.

In the middle of this clearing or meadow or whatever it was, the grass had been pushed down and a thick blanket had been placed over it.

As Carlisle gently lowered me to the ground, I gave him a quizzical look. It was clear that he had planned in advance.

"I found this place a couple weeks ago when Alice and I were exploring one Sunday," he explained. "And I knew I wanted to bring you here when the time was right."

Sunday was the one day we were apart for any length of time so that explained how I didn't know about this, but I didn't understand what he meant.

"When the time was right for what?"

Instead of answering, he motioned for me to lie down. I complied, and he lowered himself to the blanket to lie beside me. We turned to our sides to face each other, and he pulled me closer. One of his arms wrapped around me while the other rested on my face as he brushed my loose hair out of the way.

"I need to tell you something," he nearly whispered, "and I don't want to scare you. I know we've only known each other for less than a month, but what I'm about to tell you is the truth."

My heart thumped in my chest, and my eyes widened. Somehow I already knew what he was going to say, and I was anything but scared.

Carlisle took a deep breath and closed his eyes. When he reopened them, I could see his confidence and resolve.

"Esme, I love you. I might have loved you since the first time I met you, but I'm positive that I love you now. And I know it's really soon, but I just needed to tell you. You don't have to say it back, but—"

I cut him off with my lips, kissing him hard and making us both breathless.

"Carlisle, stop," I said as I caught my breath. "I do have to say it back because it's the truth. I love you, too. Who cares how soon it is?"

My declaration calmed him, and a slow smile spread across his face. "I don't care," he said with a soft chuckle. "I don't care at all."

"Good," I said, snuggling up to his chest. "I don't care either."

We lay in the quiet for a while until the fireworks began. The small break in the trees allowed us to see just the edges of the colorful explosions of light.

As the booming became louder, the tension between us also increased. It wasn't a bad tension; it was more of an _I'm so close to him that I can feel the heat of his body everywhere and I want to crawl on top of him_ type of tension.

Carlisle seemed to feel it, too. His hand returned to my cheek so he could tilt my head up, giving him perfect access to my lips.

Our kiss started slow and steady as always, but I was soon ready for more. My hands began roaming his chest, feeling the solid muscles under his t-shirt. I groaned as his hands slipped under the back of my tank top. I had never paid much attention to my lower back before, but I was glad Carlisle was. His touch made me tingle in all the best ways and left me ready for so much more.

Somehow I managed to roll over and pull Carlisle with me. I wanted to feel his weight on me, but he held himself up as if he was afraid he would squish me. My kissing enthusiasm increased as did his, and the wonder of his tongue in my mouth made me momentarily forget that I wanted anything else.

When I had to take a break to breathe, Carlisle trailed hot kisses down my neck and over the top of my chest, and I remembered that I wanted more. I wanted it all.

"Make love to me, Carlisle," I whispered breathlessly.

He paused for a moment before kissing his way back up.

"Not tonight," he said against my lips. "We will, but not tonight."

"When?" I whined shamelessly. I was ready _now_ and didn't like the idea of waiting.

"Soon," he assured me. "Be patient, Beautiful. It will be special. You deserve no less."

His words had me nearly swooning, so I could do nothing but nod in agreement.

"I can wait as long as I need to," I said, nodding slightly. "But for tonight, can I at least feel you against me? Please?"

His expression turned pensive, but he finally nodded and slowly lowered his body to mine.

As soon as he did, I knew why he was hesitant.

He was hard.

Everywhere.

And I loved it. Having his body against mine felt as if I had died and gone to heaven. I was safe, completely protected by him. Nothing could hurt me or disturb our moment together.

I was also beyond turned on. It was a struggle not to lift my hips toward his, seeking what I desperately needed. He wanted us to wait, though, and I could respect that. Even though every other part of our relationship had happened so quickly, this could wait a little while.

I hummed in contentment as Carlisle began peppering my face with short kisses. He kissed every spot he could research before returning to my lips. After only four days, we were addicted to kissing, not that either of us was complaining.

"I love you," I said as I looked up into his eyes.

"I love you, too," he said before sighing. "It's just so good to be able to finally say it out loud. It's been on the tip of my tongue for so long."

The relief he felt caused him to smile lazily, and for some reason, it made me giggle. My giggles caused our bodies to move together, creating the most delicious friction. Carlisle and I moaned at the same time, but that only made the situation worse.

"Maybe we should move?" Carlisle suggested, and I nodded, only because I could tell his control was slipping. We wouldn't regret anything that happened, but I didn't want to ruin Carlisle's plans.

He rolled us until he was lying on his back and I was tucked under his arm with my head resting on his chest. I kicked my leg over his and snuggled as close as I could get.

The fireworks continued above us and between us until the booming and the lights finally ceased. With the sky completely dark, we were able to see the stars appear. We lay and watched them while murmuring quietly to each other, but Carlisle eventually decided that we needed to go back.

He placed me on his back and pulled out a flashlight that I didn't know he had before walking us to his house.

When we returned to civilization, most of the kids had disappeared, and only a few adults were still around as they cleaned up the final remnants of the barbeque.

Carlisle went straight to the porch swing and pulled me around so he could sit with me in his lap. He seemed reluctant to let me go, and I felt exactly the same. After our major declarations, being apart just seemed unnatural. We needed to be together even though it wasn't possible all the time. We would just have to enjoy whatever time we did have, especially our porch swing evenings.

**oOoOoOo**

Even after the "I love yous" had been exchanged, not much changed between Carlisle and me. We still spent every day with Alice and now Rosalie, and we still spent every evening together, sometimes going on dates and sometimes just sitting around the house. To us, it just showed what we had known all along. Words didn't change how we acted around each other.

By the middle of the month, we finally had to tell our parents.

Mine were first, and neither of them seemed surprised. My dad didn't even have some clichéd protective father speech for us. It wasn't like I had had a boyfriend before, but even though I didn't know how he would react, I certainly didn't think he would simply pat Carlisle on the back and kiss my head as he told us how happy he was for us.

And my mother just hugged us and whispered in my ear "I told you so." I had expected her smugness so that wasn't new. Carlisle had no clue what she was talking about, but I promised to explain later. Much later.

Carlisle's parents reacted similarly. They were both happy for us and seemed to have an "it's about time" attitude. I wasn't sure if they had expected us to hook up within the first week of them moving here, but apparently our almost month was just too long.

Alice was over the moon with our announcement. We told her by herself on the swing after breakfast, and she couldn't stop talking about it all day. There were also several comments about her being the flower girl in our wedding. I then knew for sure that Alice had been included in our mothers' crazy schemes.

**oOoOoOo**

July passed almost exactly as June had, but this month, I had issues.

The sexual frustration kind of issues.

I needed more than our heavy make-out sessions and over-clothing gropage. I needed to feel Carlisle—really feel him without anything in the way. We already loved each other with our hearts and minds, but I was ready to love him with my body.

There was nothing standing in our way. No reservations about the actual act, and nothing in our pasts that wasn't talked about.

Carlisle knew that I wasn't a virgin. He also knew that I had only been with one guy three times in the church choir room. It had been fast and uncomfortable all three times, but I didn't exactly regret it.

"I needed to know," I explained. "And after the first time, I wanted to see if it would get better. But now I know it's because there was no love involved. Sex between friends isn't the same as making love. That just has to be better."

Carlisle and I always talked like we had forever because we believed it. He wasn't my first, but he would be my last. He was the only man I had ever loved in this way, and it was the same for him. Except that I was a woman, of course.

He had only ever been with one girl two times, and those times had also been fast and uncomfortable, even for him. That was mostly because it was in the girl's two-door car. I was just glad that it wasn't Carlisle's car. I had great plans to christen that thing.

The only problem was that we hadn't christened anything, and we had had plenty of opportunities. Some days his house was empty. Some days mine was. I was almost ready to put on a skirt with no panties and just mount him on the porch swing.

His eyes nearly bugged out of his head once I told him that. My filter seemed to have disappeared entirely around him, but I was glad that he knew how much I needed him.

"Be patient," he would whisper as his lips did illegal things to the space behind my ear. "Soon."

"When is soon?" I'd beg, but he would just wink and leave me completely turned on with no relief whatsoever. I couldn't be too mad at him, though. He didn't have any relief either, so at least we were in the same boat.

I was about to lose hope, but when July turned to August, I had something else to be excited about.

Sunday August 2nd was my birthday, and I was so excited to spend it with my Carlisle and his family.

The Cullen's joined us at church for the first time all summer. Dr. Cullen had been working most weeks, so it was a treat to have them all with us. Carlisle sat next to me and kept his arm around my shoulder or his hand in mine the whole time.

The rest of the day was spent together as well. We had a small party at my house where I received too many gifts. My family had always spoiled me a bit, but it was a new experience to have another family do so as well. I had been so readily accepted into the Cullens' lives, and that was better than any gift.

Carlisle gift was the most special of all. It was a ring, but not an engagement ring. Our relationship moved fast, but not that fast. It was more of a promise ring, making a promise to our forever. He apologized for how cheesy it was, but I really loved it. We didn't need a symbol for our love, but it was still perfect.

The rest of my birthday was spent inside with the air conditioning per my request. We watched movies and joked around until it was time for the evening church service. I didn't always go, but I had been drafted to sing a solo. My voice wasn't all that great, but everyone liked to hear my sing. And since it was my birthday, I was feeling a bit generous.

The song went off without a hitch, and I received many compliments, including from my man. He had wanted to hear me sing, after all, so I was glad that he liked it.

"You have a beautiful voice, Beautiful," he commented as he walked me to the car once the service was over.

"Thank you," I said softly. "And thank you for being with me all day and coming with us. I loved having you beside me."

"You're very welcome," he said with a smile. "I enjoyed it, especially the being beside you part."

Once we were at the car, I turned and pulled him close to me before standing on my toes to steal a kiss. He happily indulged me while staying appropriate.

"Now, birthday girl, it's time for me to steal you away."

"W-w-what?" I stuttered, not knowing what he was talking about.

"That's right. I'm stealing you for the evening." He smiled smugly and led me over to his car.

He opened the passenger door for me, and while I was excited to leave with him, I didn't know where my parents were.

"They already know," Carlisle informed me, as if sensing my distress. "I have their permission to take you away. And my plans start as soon as you get in the car."

I smiled, kissed his cheek, and slipped into the car.

I expected him to drive us somewhere like a nice restaurant, but instead, we drove to his house.

"You'll see," Carlisle said cryptically as he helped me out of the car. Once I was standing, he motioned for me to climb onto his back. I still had no clue what was happening until he began walking toward the trees.

Carlisle headed toward the clearing, but right before we broke through the trees, he asked me to close my eyes. I did as he asked and hid my face against his neck.

When we stopped moving, Carlisle lowered me to stand and guided me to be in front of him. He wrapped his arms around my waist and placed his chin on my shoulder.

"You can open your eyes now," he said softly. "Happy Birthday, Esme."

I slowly opened my eyes and gasped when I saw the scene in front of us.

Close to two dozen blue helium balloons were arranged in a square around a blanket. But this wasn't the blanket that had been on the ground last time. This one appeared to be even thicker and softer, possibly even made of down. There were also pillows lining one edge and an extra blanket on the side. And as if that wasn't enough, there was also a picnic basket just waiting to be opened.

"Carlisle, this is wonderful! Did you plan this?" My voice was still a bit breathy from my shock, but I really couldn't believe he had put so much into this. It was incredible.

"I did," he said, placing a kiss on my cheek. "I wanted to get candles, but I didn't want to catch all the grass on fire. So you like it?"

"Of course I do!" I exclaimed, turning to hug him. "I love you so much. Thank you for this."

He hugged me tightly and kissed the top of my head. "You're very welcome, Esme. I love you, too."

I wanted to stay in his arms as long as possible, but my stomach put an end to that with its incessant rumbling.

"Come on. Let's feed the birthday girl," Carlisle said with a chuckle.

He took my hand and led me over to the blanket. I slipped my shoes off before sitting down. I had been right about the blanket. It was so soft and comfortable, and I was suddenly excited about what we could do on it.

"My mom made the food," Carlisle explained as he unpacked the basket. "It's not much, but your mom packed some more cake so I don't think we'll go hungry."

The chicken salad sandwiches were simple but delicious as was the fruit salad. I was glad we had a light meal because my favorite strawberry short cake was calling my name.

After we were stuffed with cake, we stretched out on the blanket, our heads cradled by the soft pillows. Well, Carlisle's was anyway. I was curled up against his side with my head on his chest. One of his arms draped over me and the other rested across his front so his hand could hold mine.

The sun had already set, leaving just a faint light behind. The fireflies were beginning to come out as were the crickets. It was just perfect, and I was so glad that Carlisle had thought of this.

"You know," he murmured, "I might have one more gift for you. One that you'll really like."

I propped myself up with my arm so I could see his face. "And what might that be?"

"Something you've been asking about for quite a while."

Realization dawned on me, and my lips slowly curved into a wide smile. "Really?" I asked. "Today?"

He nodded. "Yes, Esme. Today is your special day. _Our _special day."

Not wanting to wait any longer, I crashed my lips to his. He readily responded as he slowly turned us until we were side-by-side. Our tongues danced together, kissing until we needed to take a breath and then starting again. Knowing what was going to happen made slow okay for once, and I was happy to kiss as long as Carlisle wanted to.

At least that was my opinion until Carlisle's hand slipped under my sundress and cupped me over my cotton panties.

"Yes," I hissed as my hips bucked involuntarily. "Yes, Carlisle, yes."

"Is this what you want, Beautiful?" he asked, slipping his fingers under the elastic to stroke me.

"Please," I gasped. I couldn't have stopped grinding myself on his hand if I had wanted to.

"You're so wet," he said in wonder. "I'm sorry for teasing you for so long."

I shook my head even though it was more like thrashing at this point. "It's okay, Carlisle, it's okay. Just don't stop!"

He did as I asked and didn't stop.

It was almost ridiculous how aroused I was, how ready I was for him. His fingers slowly stroked and explored until he finally entered me with one and then two. His thumb found my favorite spot, and I slowly began to fall apart as he rubbed, stroked, and repeated. Every nerve ending in my body felt alive, and I wanted to hold on to the feeling, somehow capturing this ecstasy that he was giving me.

"Come on my finger, Esme," he whispered against the base of my throat where he was kissing and nipping gently. "Let go for me."

His words pushed me over the edge of my control, and the feeling in my belly quickly spread through my limbs before crashing down. My body jerked as the pleasure raced through me, leaving me blissed out and completely useless.

"That was amazing," I mumbled, not sure if my speech was even intelligible any more.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it," he replied with a chuckle. "Feeling better?"

"Mmmm. So much better. But that's not all I want." I gained control of my arms and reached out to hold his face, bringing him down to me. "Make love to me, Carlisle" I whispered against his lips. It was a déjà vu moment, but this time, I was confident that I wouldn't be denied.

Carlisle kissed me softly and nodded before beginning to remove his shirt. I took his lead and pulled my dress over my head and threw it to the side before lying back down and waiting for him. Once his shirt and pants were removed, we lay in our underwear, and the thought made me giggle, not that anything was funny.

"What's so funny?" Carlisle asked before pulling me close to him. Once I felt him ready against my thigh, my giggles stopped immediately.

"Nothing's funny," I said with a groan. "Nothing's funny at all. I need you inside me now."

He moaned in response and kissed me as his quick fingers began to remove my bra. "You're right. Nothing's funny about that."

As he dealt with my bra, I took care of my soaked panties and his boxer briefs.

We were finally bare before each other, lying on a pallet in the moonlight. I then understood exactly why we had waited. This was perfect. So very perfect and special.

"I love you, Carlisle," I said softly, feeling tears gather in my eyes. This was such a big step for us, a step we didn't take lightly. Making love was as much as a symbol as the promise ring I now wore. We would be together forever after this. Nothing would break our bond.

"I love you, too, Esme" he said as he carefully moved to lie over me. "My beautiful Esme."

He placed open-mouth kisses down my chest, pausing to pay special attention to each breast and nipple until they were pebbled and straining. I still needed him so much even after my release.

"Please," I mumbled, shifting my hips up toward his. "I'm ready, Carlisle. I'm yours."

His kissed his way back up and held my face in his hands. "And I'm yours," he said with a smile.

He reached between us and lined himself up before gently pushing forward. It was slow, almost too slow, but I was able to feel every inch of him as he filled me.

The feeling was unlike anything I had ever experienced before. I had been right. Love made everything different. We fit together like two halves of one whole, and there wasn't anything uncomfortable or awkward. Maybe borderline uncomfortable at first, but it was easy to overlook.

I felt so much at once, close to the point of not being able to focus. Carlisle was inside me, and his head was against my shoulder. I could feel the beating of his heart against my breast and his quick breathing against my neck. There were so many sensations, but I didn't want to lose any of them.

"Perfect," I whispered, speaking my thoughts aloud. "You feel perfect." I rolled my hips to prove my point which made him groan.

It also seemed to be his signal to move, and he set a steady rhythm I could keep up with. We moved together until I just couldn't anymore, and Carlisle took control. His pelvis ground against mine, creating the most delightful sensation, and I began feeling the familiar build-up once more.

"I'm close," I gasped out. "So close."

"Me too." His voice was strained as he moved his hand between us, rubbing me until I was beyond close.

As pleasure began coursed through me once more, my body tensed, and his movements sped up. Just when my tension released, his did the same, and he nearly collapsed against me. We rode it out together as we turned into a sweaty pile of tangled limbs.

I had no desire to move even if we were a disgusting mess, and Carlisle didn't seem to mind either. He pulled the extra blanket over us even though it was still at least 90 degrees. The gesture was nice and made me feel safer and more protected.

"I love you." I placed a kiss over his heart and snuggled close. "That was very special."

"I love you so much, Esme," he responded, kissing my head and holding me close. "I hope it was everything you wanted it to be."

"It was so much more," I confessed with a sigh. "I wasn't sure if I would ever have anything like this."

"Me either. Before we moved here, I was pretty much alone and didn't even talk to girls unless they approached me first. But with you, something was just right. I knew from the moment I saw you that you were it for me, Esme. We're perfect."

"We definitely have a good story to tell our kids, huh?" I joked.

He chuckled and nodded. "Yes, we do. All five of them."

"And the dog and cat."

"And the eighteen fish," he finished. "But what is a koi pond?"

I sighed and snuggled closer with a smile on my face. As if this man wasn't perfect enough, he was embracing my mom's crazy fantasy.

"I'll show you a picture later."

He nodded and we returned to silence.

As we lay on our blanket under the moonlight, I thought more about our future. Nothing was certain or planned out, but I wasn't worried. I still had a year to go on my degree, and Carlisle didn't know what he wanted to do with his.

But we had time. So much time to learn and grow together. Time for our whirlwind romance to slow down a bit. Not that fast was bad. It did seem to work for us, after all.

Somehow, someway, we were right together, and that was all that mattered.

**oOoOoOo**

_*whispers*_

"What are we going to tell Alice that we did tonight?"

"We caught fireflies."

"Fireflies? Really?"

"Sure. Or we could just be honest and tell her that we made love until dawn."

"Are we going to do that?"

"If you want."

"Oh, I want."

"Well, your wish is my command, madam."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: This one-shot was written for one of my bestest friends, _MelissaMargaret_. She gave me the prompt one night and then it became her birthday gift. She read it first, but she wanted me to share it with everyone else. I agreed because you guys are just awesome. =)**

**Any mistakes are mine since my beta shouldn't have to beta her own birthday gift. **

**Also, Perfect Love readers: I've been writing this instead of the next chapter, but you'll get the teaser soon. I promise. ;)**

**Thanks so much for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it!**


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